International Business Machines Corp.

Jul. 19, 2017 at 5:14 p.m. ET

by Victor Reklaitis

U.S. stock-market indexes closed firmly higher Wednesday, with all of the main equity benchmarks notching records, as buying appetite resumed on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 0.3% higher at 21,640, as big gains in shares of Boeing Co. and UnitedHealth Group Inc. –bouncing back from Tuesday s selling–helped to more than offset a 4.2% tumble in shares of International Business Machines Corp. which disappointed investors in second-quarter sales. IBM cut about 40 points from the price-weighted Dow, but the gauge still managed to finish squarely in the session green. The S P 500 index rose 0.5% at 2,473, booking its own record, as did the Nasdaq Composite Index. which ended up 0.6% at 6,385. Small-capitalization stocks also joined the party, with the Russell 1000 and 2000 ending at all-time highs. Market sentiment was aided partially by an early climb in shares of Morgan Stanley. up 3.3%, after it reported earnings and revenue that topped expectations and bucked the trend of banks shares sliding after releasing quarterly results. The investment bank run by CEO James Gorman helped to bolster investors outlook for the remainder of earnings season, which thus far has helped to revive investor bullishness.

Jul. 19, 2017 at 4:28 p.m. ET

by Mark DeCambre

Jul. 19, 2017 at 2:42 p.m. ET

by Therese Poletti

The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Wednesday was being pressured by a sharp drop in shares of International Business Machines Corp. in early trade. IBM s stock. down 4.3%, was cutting about 40 points from the price-weighed blue-chip Dow after the technology giant reported a year-over-year sales decline for the 21st consecutive quarter, disappointing Wall Street. Wednesday s early share decline for IBM puts it on track for its worst single-day drop since April 19, when shares tumbled nearly 5% after the Armonk, N.Y. based company reported disappointing first-quarter results. Overall, the Dow is trading at break-even levels at 21,579, with a gain UnitedHealth Group Inc. s stock helping to lift the gauge. More broadly, the S P 500 index. up 0.3%, and the Nasdaq Composite Index. advancing 0.4%, were both trading in record territory. IBM s share decline is particularly biting for investors as the tech sector has staged a notable rebound since tumbling to recent lows on June 9. On Tuesday, the tech-heavy Nasdaq booked its first record close since June 8.